Lessons from Bhagavad Gita - 60

(from the discourses of Pujya Sri Swamiji)

compiled by Swami Datta Pada Renu

"Little by little (gradually or by degrees) let him withdraw, with the intellect set in firmness and with the mind fastened on the self; let him not think of anything else." (25-VI).

These verses clearly set forth the means of securing mastery of Yoga. Firstly, the aspirant of Yoga should five up all desires arising out of thoughts of cherished aims. A man may entertain in his mind different types of desires of enjoying worldly pleasures. These desires make his mind fickle. Therefore in order to make the mind steady these desires are to be totally given up. Even if the aspirant has a negligible or least desire to enjoy a particular object he should totally erase it from his mind. Otherwise this least desire lurking in his mind may gain strength in course of time and give trouble to him. Therefore it is said that the aspirant has to give up desires totally (karmaan asheshatah). He should give up desires after well understanding that they are of no use to him.

Along with this, with the help of his mind endued with discrimination the aspirant should control his sense-organs. When all desires are abandoned, automatically the sense organs become quiet. The mind then becomes peaceful, calm and collected. At this time the aspirant should fix up his mind on the self. Thus gradually which means not impetuously but little by little and with the intellect set in firmness which means with a resolute intellect one should withdraw the mind from oneself. The idea is the outgoing mind should be turned inwards by a slow and steady practice and should be fixed upon the self. Having made his mind remain steady on the self, he should not think of anything else with the idea ‘the self alone is all; there is nothing apart from it’. This is the highest instruction on Yoga.

"By whatever cause the restless unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it and bring it under the control of the self alone." (26-VI)

In the beginning the Yogi may find it difficult to fix his mind on the self as it easily escapes and runs away to different objects. He should then make conscious efforts to bring mind back to the self and make it remain steady there. Thus due to whatever objects the restless mind wanders away, it should be restrained and brought back through discrimination and detachment. If it is thus pursued every time and made to come back, it gets itself tamed and subjugated and then ceases running here and there. Repeated efforts to bring the mind from where it has fled is of paramount importance. Through this practice, the mind will gradually be accustomed to become steady and will merge in the self.

"Verily the supreme bliss comes to that Yogi of tranquil mind, who has quietened the Rajas(passion) in him, and who has become Brahman and who is blemishless." (27-VI)

The Yogi whose mind has become perfectly tranquil attains supreme bliss. Such a Yogi is always at peace because he has destroyed the Rajas, that is, passion, anger, greed and other afflictions of the mind. So he is blemishless or sinless (Akalmashah). As such he gets identified with Brahman and becomes free even while living.

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